CHiPs (15) – Trailer – “A rookie officer is teamed with a hardened pro at the California Highway Patrol, though the newbie soon learns his partner is really an undercover Fed investigating a heist that may involved some crooked cops.“

Power Rangers (12A) – Trailer – “A group of high-school kids, who are infused with unique superpowers, harness their abilities in order to save the world.”

Life (15) – Trailer – “A team of scientists aboard the International Space Station discover a rapidly evolving life form, that caused extinction on Mars, and now threatens the crew and all life on Earth.“

Lost City of Z (15) – Trailer – “A true-life drama, centering on British explorer Col. Percival Fawcett, who disappeared while searching for a mysterious city in the Amazon in the 1920s.“

One week after Sony Studios announced they are moving forward with a stand-alone film for Spider-Man’s arch nemesis Venom (due late next year), today news broke of another spin-off set within the web-slinger’s universe, this time focusing on franchise staples Black Cat and Silver Sable. Little is currently known about the female-led project, save for two big facts; renowned Thor: Ragnarok writer Chris Yost is currently working on the screenplay, and the film (along with 2018’s Venom) will be not be directly connected to the extended Marvel Universe.

Sony certainly seem confident in their latest reboot of the Marvel hero (Spider-Man: Homecoming), and are apparently working to build as large a universe around the character as possible. This will surely put smiles on the faces of long time Spidey fans, as the wall-crawling icon boasts arguably the most beloved roster of villains across the Marvel Universe. And with Homecoming being among the most anticipated releases of the year, it could only be a matter of time before we see more of the sharp-witted hero’s foes given the stand-alone treatment.

In a move that is sure to split the anime world in two, Netflix have just released the first trailer for a live-action adaptation of the incredibly popular Japanese series DeathNote. Set for release later this year, the dark, grim trailer shares a lot of the aesthetics that helped catapult the original anime into cult-following territory. Directed by rising horror star Adam Wingard (Blair Witch, You’re Next, V/H/S 2), DeathNote will follow the story of Light Yagami (Nat Wolff) as he struggles to comprehend the power of a supernatural notebook that seemingly falls to earth from the sky above.

Boasting an impressive cast, including the likes of Willem Defoe (c’mon), Keith Stanfield (Straight Outta Compton), and Margaret Qualley (The Nice Guys), DeathNote looks to be a promising addition to Netflix’s ever-growing library of original content, but one that will surely have manga purists at odds with more casual viewers over which version of the story is a better telling of the twisted macabre tale.

As we tread further into the already quite scary world of post-2016 planet earth, one positive change to the climate of the western world could be a massive shake up in how we view blockbuster Hollywood releases. As of this writing, six major film production companies (Universal, Sony, Fox, Warner Bros, Lionsgate, and Paramount) are engaged in discussions about the possibility of releasing feature films ‘on-demand’ shortly after their theatrical debuts.

Although nothing has been confirmed yet, the proposed industry restructure would allow audiences early digital access to new films 17 days after their theatrical release, at a cost of $50 (roughly £36). And while the grossly inflated price-tag would likely do nothing to deter the ever-plundering internet pirates of the world, this is certainly exciting news for the growing portion of viewers that seem uninterested in the conventional cinema experience.

Some films are made because they needed to be made. Some films stay with you for weeks, for months and some don’t leave you. This, falls into all of the above.

Blue Ruin (2013), an American thriller film written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier is a tale of a shadowy loner’s quiet life is turned upside down when he returns to his hometown to carry out an act of vengeance. Smart, lean, and electrifyingly grim, Blue Ruin proves that a well-told revenge story can still leave its audience on the edge of their seat.

Saulnier’s resourcefulness, sensitivity and quiet assurance takes the audience on a strange, gothic ride through Southern crime and retribution. In the ninety-minute runtime not a single moment is wasted.

Macon Blair as Dwight delivers a brilliant performance which is needed to carry this tale of a desperate man on the trail of revenge. This performance is particular highlighted in the opening twenty minutes where barely a couple of lines of dialogue are uttered; yet you find yourself locked in for the entirety.

Bursts of violence shatter the blue collar setting in a slow, quiet and visceral character study that will certainly leave you breathless. Saulnier, and indeed Macon Blair, have a bright future.

So, who cares about the effects the Vietnam War had on the American GIs? America does. They can’t get enough of their own, short history and who better than HBO to bring it alive. Another view on the effects of the war in a slightly flabby misstep akin to Deadwood, Quarry tells of Mac Conway who returns from his second tour in Vietnam to face derision from the public and his own family. From here, his choices are few and bleak prospects push him into dark territory.

His friend, The Wire’s Jamie Hector, contrasts Mac’s sensibilities quite nicely and he does the best with what he is given. Yet he simply exists as an expository character and the story leaves it ambiguous whether or not we trust him or care for him as much as Mac (supposedly) does. His place in this world feels manufactured and the story suffers for it.

Disorientating sound design complimented with off kilter camera work give us nothing new but sets the tone. Don’t worry about falling behind, the characters will be happy to explain the plot and their motivations along the way. Maybe this is not such a bad thing. Remember that the opening episode to Cinemax’s other property The Knick started (and continued) much the same way but had so much to offer that it could be forgiven its short comings.

This opening episode suffers where a balance should be struck. The violence is well executed and coldly clinical. Yet the conflict between Mac and the rest of the world is hard to fathom if he is so detached from things. If he doesn’t care, then what has he lost? Even the Dude went out of his way to right the wrongs when his rug got peed on, when the rest of us would have just gone to Harry Corry. This is like watching the Dude pee on his own rug, ignore his best friend’s advice and not even go bowling!

It’s true that the hard time the GI’s got from this unpopular war has been explored before, yet it is an amoral character who will be leading us on this trail. It feels as though we will have little doubt about our opinion of Mac as the show progresses. However, it is the shaky performance of Logan Marshall-Green that needs attention, if we are to take the journey with him. The sets are not over dressed and there is enough to give us a good sense of space in the 1970s. HBO never falters with production design, yet some scenes would have benefitted from tighter editing. Leaving them earlier would improve the pace and snipping the sub-par dialogue wouldn’t go amiss.

The cast gives this show a budget-feel, though Damon Herriman is an unlikely saving grace. There is no chemistry between the best friends or them and their wives, which is a shame since the emotional underpinning is so crucial to the opening act. With such a bleak production spread over thin narrative; the audience may struggle to connect as the producers struggle to gel the parts.

Things tighten up in the last act, which is doubtless the main reason the pilot was successful in kick-starting the show. It paints a better composed picture and leaves you with just enough interest to want to continue the story. Or maybe you won’t. Taste is subjective, and maybe you were turned off enough at the start to have lost faith in Mac’s journey.

Time will tell as Quarry rolls out over the coming weeks. We have had a sneaky look at episode two and can say (spoiler free) that there are plenty more stories to tell over the course of this season.

https://thecinemareport.wordpress.com/2016/09/27/quarry-season-one-episode-one/feed/0160908-quarry-newsthecinemareportReview: Peoplehttps://thecinemareport.wordpress.com/2016/09/26/review-people/
https://thecinemareport.wordpress.com/2016/09/26/review-people/#respondMon, 26 Sep 2016 08:55:25 +0000http://thecinemareport.wordpress.com/?p=1806]]>American writer Shane McGoey, known best for his work on blockbusters Django Unchained, Now You See Me, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, takes a bold risk in his solo feature debut. Showing at this year’s New Orleans Film Festival, The Cinema Report takes an exclusive look at People.

by Ste Wood

From Die Hard, to Falling Down, to The Machinist, to Gone Girl, the general public has often been romanticised for the sake of film. When sitting down to watch a flick about normal people, you can usually expect everyday life to take a back seat in favour of grand set pieces and unlikely characters facing improbable situations. That is, unless you’re sitting down to watch writer/director Shane McGoey’s People, a film set so relentlessly in the real world, it avoids any true narrative or journey for any particular character. In the stead of a prototypical three act structure built around the growth and personal development of an individual, McGoey has crafted an engaging true-to-life world and simply dropped the viewer in different rooms at different times. Not that there isn’t any kind of pay off in the climactic scene, but we’ll get to that soon.

Broken into six separate vignette-style shorts, the independent film had my full attention from the opening minutes right to the final climactic chapter. Making excellent use of everyday locations, People has enough substance in it’s dialogue to compensate for the unconventionally downbeat tone that runs throughout. The writer drops you in the first of six unassuming locations, and from there, the different collections of contrasting personalities let their opinions of each other and the world around them provide an insight into who they are. There is no journey. No redemption. Just people, and their different perspectives on how and why they are where they’re at in life.

In a sequence driven by a mix of sexuality and self hatred, troubled twenty-something Rainey (Christine Lekas) is seen waiting impatiently for a middle aged psychiatrist in a late-night therapy session. As soon as the two start talking, it becomes obvious that emotions are running high, with the emotionally scarred patient going on a rant that irritates and angers the old school doctor. This was a good choice for the first scene, as Rainey’s ongoing tirade reveals enough about her character to draw attention to others in the remaining chapters, and how the seemingly disconnected narrative could logically come together.

The second chapter is based around a clash of contrasting opinions on the nature of sexuality, with two former lovers debating their different stances on how they view themselves. The two men continue to argue in a quiet restaurant, until one receives a phone call that his sister (hint, hint) has been admitted to the hospital. This leads into the half way point of the film, where a group of four friends (one of whom happens to be a doctor) are watching a boxing match on TV, until Brandon and Renso start arguing about politics on a personal level. After Brandon brings up an embarrassing story from their childhood, Renso breaks his nose, causing the group to head to the hospital.

In what begun as a low point of the film, but quickly improved as the stakes were raised, the fourth scene acts as the catalyst for the climax of the film. A young woman is driving her obnoxious boyfriend to the hospital. The journey quickly dissolves to a heated argument, with the two deciding to end their failing relationship. The shakey foundation their union was built on becomes evident in the coming minutes, and is then completely forgotten about when the car spins off the road mid-collision.

Rewind back twenty minutes, and Franz, a misunderstood writer, is in the middle of an argument (noticing a theme yet?) with two high-up studio executives. In a true high point of the film, Mustafa Harris delivers a relentlessly passionate (albeit long-winded) monologue about freedom of expression within film. Although the fourth wall is very cleverly broken (considering how the scene relates to the film it is a part of), I did find myself slightly disinterested towards the end of the writers near 10-minute tirade. Not to take anything away from the scene, which does still fit in with the rest of the film non-linear, nonsensical progression through each of the five interactions. I just felt that after the first four character dynamics were all set so relentlessly in the real world, Franz’s quest to have his artistic vision realised seemed like a big jump.

The fifth scene ends tragically when it is revealed that the car crash from earlier was in fact caused by Franz walking into the road and getting mowed down by the vehicle. The twist came as a very pleasant surprise, and provided a satisfying conclusion to the unique and ambitious journey I had just taken. Characters from all five previous scenes finally came together in a conclusion that saw them all stay perfectly true to their varying personalities. While not all engaging with one and other directly, they all proceed to argue with anyone who will listen. That is, until a doctor emerges from the trauma unit and pronounces Franz The Director dead. In a sobering moment for all present, a silence falls over the room as once shouting voices all join in reflection and acknowledgement.

To call People a great film would be untrue. It isn’t. There were moments that completely took me out of the experience when I first watched it. Some noticeably choppy editing in the second scene, places in the fourth scene that seemed to drag a little. And as I’ve already said, I would’ve preferred it if Franz’s monologue wasn’t quite as long and thorough as it was. But they are small details. When you step back and consider the ambitious goals the writer had set for himself, it would be unfair to say he didn’t achieve the over all goal he set himself. McGoey clearly has a vision of a film that could do two things; break the conventions of modern cinema, and still be successful. Through engaging and well crafted dialogue, he proved the former is possible with People. As for the latter, only time will tell for this expertly written ensemble drama.

People is showing at the Ace Hotel, New Orleans on Saturday 18th October at 10:00pm.

The 68th annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony took place this past Sunday, in an evening that saw Game of Thrones break the record for most awards won by a fictional series. The fantasy epic took home twelve awards this year, including Best Directed Drama and the prestigious Outstanding Drama Series. With a collection of thirty-eight awards in total, the HBO series is now the most decorated show in the history of the ceremony, overtaking Frasier‘s previous record of 37.

Game of Thrones wasn’t the only HBO show to impress audiences, with the superb political satire Veep collecting three of the sixteen awards it was up for. The show, which recently concluded it’s fifth season, won Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Comedy Actress (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series. Another stand out comedy in the polls was Jill Soloway’s transgender themed comedy Transparent. The web based series also netted three awards, including Outstanding Lead Comedy Actor (Jeffrey Tambor) and Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series.

One nod that came as a surprise to many was to Mr. Robot‘s Rami Malek, who topped some stiff competition to claim the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. The Egyptian-American actor beat the likes of House of Cards‘ Kevin Spacey, The Americans star Matthew Rhys, and Ray Donovan himself, Leiv Shcreiber, to claim his first Emmy award. Malek’s recognition comes as something of a surprise due to the social outcast role he plays in the USA Network drama. For nearly 20 years, the Outstanding Drama Actor award has been won almost exclusively by actors like James Gandolfini (The Sopranos), James Spader (Boston Legal, The Practice), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), and others portraying white anti-hero characters. Malik’s performance as struggling schizophrenic revolutionary Eliot Alderson is a far cry from the type of role typically associated with victory in the category, and is a key factor in the shows continuing success.

One of the less surprising outcomes of the night came from American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson, which claimed several top Limited Series awards, as it was widely predicted to. The FX docudrama was awarded Outstanding Limited Series, Outstanding Actor and Actress in a Limited Series (Courtney B. Vance and Sarah Paulson, respectively), and Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series. With such a strong showing at this year’s ceremony, speculation continues to grow regarding the subject matter of the shows inevitable second series.

Other highlights from the evening include Last Week Tonight with John Oliver picking up a much deserved Outstanding Variety Talk Series accolade, along with two other awards this year. After a three year run of receiving nothing but nominations, Comedy Central’s Key & Peele finally won not one but two awards at the 68th annual ceremony, notably winning Outstanding Variety Sketch for the first time. The evening didn’t go quite so well for HBO’s Big-Bang-But-Better comedy series Silicon Valley. The two-time Emmy award winning show has been growing in popularity following it’s third season, but was unable to capture any of the eleven prizes it was up for at this year’s event.

Jesse Plemons, Fargo
Bokeem Woodbine, Fargo
Hugh Laurie, The Night ManagerSterling K Brown, The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story
David Schwimmer, The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story
John Travolta, The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story

To summarise the plot of Don’t Breathe, a group of three burglars break into an blind, elderly war veterans house with the goal of stealing $300,000 he received when his only child was killed in a car accident. Tragic, right? But there’s more. See, after entering house and threatening him at gunpoint, the brutish Norman Nordstrom turns the tables on the home invaders and begins to pick them off one by one in the ultimate story of self-defence. In a film full of twists and turns, it turns out the biggest shock of them all came right at the start of the film when the gang of thieves are portrayed as the heroes of the film. Well, not heroes. But they are the sympathetic protagonists who we’re supposed to root for based on the fact that they had no idea what they were getting themselves into. Instead of a lead character that is against robbing a blind old man, the group argue about the plan for five minutes, then collectively agree that Norman is an easy target and his money will solve all of their problems

And for me, that was the biggest shortcoming of an otherwise commendable attempt at an original horror concept. It wasn’t the notably thin backstory provided for the three thieves, or the occasional horror cliché found through the 88 minute run time. It was the fact that after the mid-point character defining twist (which was spoiled by the trailer anyway), I wasn’t really rooting for either the blind bad-ass turned unstable monster, or the three able bodied criminals that sought to steal his life’s worth. I think the real problem with the protagonists motivation lies with the fact that we didn’t see enough of their individual plights prior to committing the robbery. Rocky, the social outsider, is shown arguing in a shabby trailer with her lazy self-entitled mother, while consoling her innocent younger sister. Her motivation for robbing the old man blind (so to speak), is a desire to escape with her sister to start a new life in California. And while the first half of the equation sounds noble, the ends would surely not justify the means to a decent person. Her two accomplices can basically be summed up as the one who’s a total dick, and the one who’s supposedly a nice guy (and has a thing for Rocky). That’s it.

In saying that, I should probably point out that Don’t Breathe didn’t get everything wrong, and definitely isn’t a terrible film. For every character I couldn’t care less about, there were plenty of tense moments with said characters creeping around in silence through a very stylish representation of total darkness. Instead of the glow-in-the-dark night vision effect we’ve come to know over the last decade, the scenes set in darkness are barely legible, in what will probably be the new standard dark-room effect we’ll come to know over the next decade. The use of silence is genuinely innovative, with characters choosing to keep quiet, instead of rattling on about how scared they are and how they hope the killer isn’t in the next room. These people act how you’d expect someone trapped in a blind mans death house to handle themselves. They shut up, don’t scream (or breathe), and try to stay put until they’ve got a concrete plan of escape.

The old me probably would’ve marked the film down for not actually being particularly scary. But after years of seeing every possible jump-worthy scenario played out in horror films, it didn’t shock me that the film had a total of zero genuinely scary moments. It did lean on the old creaky floorboards/he’s behind you tropes of the genre in places, but you can’t really expect anything less from a modern horror film that isn’t The Conjuring or Insidious.

Don’t Breathe is a very rare instance in film where the sequel will almost definitely be better than the original, now that Norman has been established as more than just a surprisingly capable robbery victim. Knowing the kind of monster he really is, it will be much more interesting to watch him hunt down Rocky, who will have swapped out her two forgettable companions in favour of her young sister. While we wait to see what the future holds for this shaky franchise debut, I’d recommend picking up the DVD/Blu-ray or catching on-demand when it comes out, but avoid paying the price of admission for this half innovative/half run of the mill home invasion horror.

Daniel Radcliffe gives his best performance to date in a taut and tense thriller in which the focus is only let down by its predictable finish.

The debut feature from director Daniel Ragussis, Imperium centres around idealistic FBI agent, Nate Foster, played with excellence by Radcliffe. Foster is an outsider, smart and a loner. His interactions with other FBI agents is more akin to a jock vs nerd relationship you would see in a 1980s high school film and you sense this discomfort from him. He’s good at his job, he wants to change the world for the better but he’s struggling. It’s this struggle at being an outsider is what attracts Agent Zamparo (Toni Collette) to headhunt Foster to go undercover and infiltrate neo-Nazi and white supremacist gangs that are possibly planning terror attacks on US soil.

Imperium is tense from start to finish and this tension cannot be understated; for parts of the film and the duration of the third act I was on edge. You genuinely put yourself in Foster’s position. What would you do? You ask yourself constantly throughout. Foster acts as the catalyst for the movie, ironically attempting to uncover a terrorist plot but acting as the shot of adrenaline for a movement that seems for the most part, all talk.

It is only the very end, when everything seems to be nicely wrapped up, when you sense that you are being undersold. The plot is predicable at times, but this should not detract from a movie that follows Green Roomthis year by delving into murky neo-Nazi culture and ideology. The movie is grounded, nothing happens that you wouldn’t believe hasn’t happened already to someone, somewhere and Imperium benefits greatly from this. You are set up this world and believe everything that happens it it. As you should, this could end up being one of the more terrifying movies of the year.

I tried to promise myself I wouldn’t mention the obvious in this review, but Radcliffe is absolutely throwing off the potential shackles of being Harry Potter. Since finishing the wizarding franchise he has been picking his roles perfectly and this is no exception. The rest of the cast are more than functional and do the job they need to do, but it is Radcliffe that holds them and the movie together. Bring on Swiss Army Man.

Imperium plays like a mash-up of The Departed and American History X; whilst not being quite as satisfying or effective as either I can definitely send you out to watch it. Catch it whilst you can.